As this literary project unfolds, I realize I have finally found a forum in which to publicly address all the students who have shared their inmost secrets with me through confession. After visiting almost 40 college campuses, I am convinced that this young generation--especially those who have been raised in the church--are completely overwhelmed with the mixed messages that come at them from every angle.
Media presents one picture. Professors in state schools present a dramatically different viewpoint than those in private schools, and yet, students who left high school with a Christian foundation seem to be flailing.
I am convinced that the culture in which we live is aggressively stealing, killing, and destroying our children's faith, sexual purity, morality, and the purpose for which they were born--and women of all ages need to stand up and say something!
This book, Emails to My Daughter (working title), is a compilation of the stories I've heard from students while visiting almost 40 college campuses. And I am convinced, they will shock you into helping me reach this young generation--whether you have a student or not!
In the coming weeks, I am planning to post only 1/2 of the correspondence between me and my daughter--her words and questions to me. (My answers will not appear in this blog, but be published in 2008, yet if you believe I'm on the right track, I'd love your thoughts on each entry.) But for those of you who have lived through what I'm going to share, I write this book (1) to assure you (and your daughters), that you're not the only ones experiencing heartache, and (2) to provide some answers based on biblical principles that I have seen work in the lives of the students who've inspired this correspondence.
I have a very specific purpose for this "fictional" book--that every parent and/or student who is desperately seeking spiritual encouragement, indomitable hope, and practical answers for standing firm amidst the incredible challenges of our culture will find it.
Pray for me, will you? The answers to my daughter's emails will be published in 2008...
In the meanwhile, be encouraged.
Becky
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
Dear Becky, Please be assured that I am praying for you and your project, that God uses you and the book to reach many mothers and daughters to ease heartaches and to keep both on fire and in love with our Lord. My daughter is now 26 yrs. old and is a Godly woman. I'm proud of her choices now and I love her more than ever and call her "my friend". But, we had many rocky times that broke both of our hearts and also hurt our Lord and damaged our fellowship with Him, especially during her first 2 years of college when she pursued life on campus and run as fast and as far from the Lord and our home values as she could. She was the party girl of the sorority, and the "hottie" that all frat boys wanted to "date". Yet God never gave up on her or on my prayers or on me. He heard my prayers and when I got quiet enough to listen to Him, He gave me the words to speak (or not speak) and the nudgings to know when to be seen/heard and when to be silent/distant. All of which were difficult and truly a time of "testing" by fire. Had I had a book such as the one you are writing, maybe some of my heartache would have been avoided. Truly my prayer is that another mother/daughter will not go down the same road that we traveled through the annointing on this project. May His Hand be on you as you proceed and may your quiet time with Him be very special as He leads you and guides you and encourages you. Be Blessed! Shelley
Becky, Just a note to encourage you and to assure you that youhave been in my thoughts and prayers, especially this evening - and I've been around long enough to know that when someone keeps coming to mind, I'd best be obediant to the nudgings of the Holy Spirit and pray. Your book will be such a blessing to many! God loves you and is using you in a mighty way; keep doing what is in your heart and follow His leadings. Be Blessed! Shelley
Your daughter is exactly who I am writing to...by way of a mom. I'd love for you to be on my focus group/team--please consider it! I'd send you a few entries to review. Am I on the right track? How can I make a better connection with those who are hurting, etc.? Please contact me directly if you're interested at:
becky@changeyourlifedaily.com
Beck
Praying for you, Becky. I am encouraged...you always encourage me friend!
Much Love in Jesus,
holly
Daer Becky;
I am really praying for you as you talk to the students all over the US. I just want to tell you that there has been a lot of miracles happening in my life. They are;
My daughter and grand daughter are doing a lot better and they are staying out of the hospital.
2. I fell a day after my birthday and had surgery and now I can move it without any problems.
3. The doctors thought that I had cancer of the stomach and the tests came out that I did not have cancer.
4. I am starting to get involved with the youth of the church. I am going to help out with the middle students because they are the most at the young age to start learnign about Jesus. I am very anxious to get started with them.
Well I have to go now and study the Bible but I thought that I would write this comment to you. In His Burning Heart full of His love for all of us. Rosebud
All week I have meade reference to my small pile of notes and even told my daughter I could start a book called Letters to Ashley. You are surly an inspiration and I need your encouragement. My daughter is in a very dark place right now and we are left to pray her out of it. She had an abortion about 7 months ago and waited 3 months to tell us about it. It was a very grievous time for us and still is We have 3 other girls and are struggling with where ashley is at spiritually, and wether to allow her to continue to live under our roof unwilling to get any counciling or be accountible or change any behavior that put her where she is now spiritually. I am burdened for her, yet am mourning my grandchild who never had a chance. I don't want to give up on her and with my prayers will not, but I struggle with what is best for everyone. I t is so hard being the mom of daughters. Thank you for Sacred Obsession and Burning Heart they have been soo valuable to me and kept me faithfully going to the Lord, when many times I felt I just couldn't muster up the "energy" to .
Sometimes the needs of these young women can't be fulfilled by the mothers that are being so deeply hurt by their daughters actions. The mothers are left in such a dark, lost place because of their daughters hurtful behavior that the mothers sometimes cause more harm than good. The good news is that many mothers grow closer to the Lord during this time in their lives. Becky, you have found one of the greatest needs out there and that is the need for mentors to step up and bridge that gap. I was fortunate to be a part of introducing the "burning hearts" concept to the first retreat of college girls from RH and they were so hungry for it many years ago. You have been in, and will continue to be in my prayers as you approach such a needed yet difficult issue.
Dear Becky, My secret desire was to have a daughter and yet God blessed me with two sons. Both of these sons have daughters so I am blessed to have six grandchildren and two of them are girls. Recently, I was at a retreat and there was a mom who I prayed for and she is on the right tract with her second daughter, she is not allowing her to date as she did as as she allowed her older daughter to date. I was in awe of her courage. Our world is in troubled times. I admire that you speak up for purity and a passion for God. I will pray for your book and for wisdom. I am hopeful that I will be able to be an influence in all of my grandchildrens lives. I also pray that they will remain sexually pure and safe in this world. In my prayer ministry at my church, I have worked with so many younger women who have suffered abuse by molestation and date rape. The pain that they suffer is tremondous. Blessings to you and your work. Diana160
Becky, May the Lord anoint you for the writing of this book. I have an 18 yr old daughter, a 15 yr old son, and have worked with the youth group since they have been in it. I have seen the challenges, strongholds, poor family situations, and pain that they go through. Anything written to help them and parents through these years will be a blessing. It is an area grossly neglected. Too many worldly ideas infiltrate our own thoughts even in the church and we neglect our duties as parents too easily. Without the Lord, we would be in very different and difficult places. I am thankful for his laws that are fences to keep us and our children safe. We have had our share of those challenges too!
From a self-proclaimed "hovering mother" balanced by the Lord. His grace has been sufficient.
May He bless this book!
Love Kathy
Post a Comment